Issac Hayes, Known for Shaft and South Park, Dies at 65

The man most recently known as “Chef” on South Park, has died. Or as they would say on the show “Oh my god, they killed Chef. You bastards!”

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office says a family member found Hayes unresponsive near a treadmill earlier this afternoon. Hayes was pronounced dead about an hour later at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. The cause of his death is not yet known.

In the early 1970s, Hayes got the world prepared for disco and for what became known as urban-contemporary music featuring singers such as Barry White.

From CNN:

Relatives found Hayes, 65, unconscious in his home next to a still-running treadmill, said Steve Shular, a spokesman for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department.

Paramedics attempted to revive him and took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 2 p.m., the sheriff’s department said.

No foul play is suspected, the agency said in a written statement.

Hayes was a longtime songwriter and arranger for Stax Records in Memphis, playing in the studio’s backup band and crafting tunes for artists such as Otis Redding and Sam and Dave in the 1960s.

He released his first solo album in 1967, and his 1969 follow-up, “Hot Buttered Soul,” became a platinum hit.

In 1971, the theme from “Shaft” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and won an Academy Award for best original theme song. The song and the movie score also won Grammy awards for best original score and movie theme.

Truly a sad day in both the music and television industry for such a great talent. Issac Hayes will surely be missed.